St George’s Singers, the Poynton-based choir, gave a vibrant and committed performance of Bach’s St John Passion on 19 April at the Bridgewater Hall which had audience and critics alike hailing it as a great achievement musically and dramatically. The Choir, trained by their Musical Director Neil Taylor, were conducted on the evening by Nicholas Kraemer, the Permanent Guest Conductor of Manchester Camerata, and internationally recognised as a leading baroque specialist. The Manchester Evening News described the chorus as ‘superb’, and another critic praised St George’s Singers as ‘a truly great amateur choir comparable with that associated with the Hallé Orchestra’.
The full reviews and photos from the concert are available on the Choir’s website at www.st-georges-singers.org.uk
The concert was preceded by a reception at the Bridgewater Hall hosted by St George’s Singers and Manchester Camerata, and attended by Friends of St George’s Singers. Other invited guests included the choir’s President, actress Brigit Forsyth; Elaine Griffiths, Director of Gorton Monastery; and the Mayor of Poynton, Gabor Bartos.
Under Neil Taylor, St George’s Singers has established an enviable reputation in the North West of England and beyond, for their enterprise, versatility, innovation and commitment to the art of choral singing. At the end of May the choir embarks on a tour of the Malverns, where they will present a series of three concerts in Pershore Abbey, Malvern Priory and St Michael’s Church Ledbury (Elgar’s local church) with a programme of English choral music of the 20th century.
Their next concert in Manchester is on Saturday 25th June, when they appear at Gorton Monastery in a concert entitled ‘Eastern Voices’, featuring sacred music by composers from Eastern Europe including Dvorak, Gorecki, Janacek and Kodaly. Tickets for the concert are now on sale from 01663 764012, email tickets@st-georges-singers.org.uk, or online at www.st-georges-singers.org.uk
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